Water Phobias
by LacytheRomanWerewolf
Summary: Team Guy's fight with Kisame has a last effect on Tenten and Neji decides to help her through it. Neji/Tenten


Begin Transmission

Lacy here kids with my first ever Naruto fic. Well, not first. I tried posting another but, well we won't go there. Anywho, this is my first Neji/Tenten fic, as they are one of the cutest couples in the show. Basically Neji's helping Tenten over come a fear. Have fun!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Depressed now.

End Transmission

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

It was little things that tipped Neji off to something being wrong with his girl friend. How she seemed skiddish when it rained, even when exhausted from training, she sipped her water slowly and didn't drink much at one time. While she was never one to take long showers or baths, her new speed in doing so was faster then her ability to brandish a weapon.

His final clue was when she tripped and fell while they were crossing a river. She hadn't landed in the water but her face had paled considerably and her breathing had become short, fast pants as she stared at the rushing water.

He hadn't questioned it, not then, they'd been on a mission but the next night they were home, he couldn't ignore it any more.

She had a nightmare. A rather violent one that had him pinning her down to avoid being hit by what he knew were damn powerful punches and kicks.

"Tenten." Neji said forcefully. "Wake up. It's just a dream." his thumbs unconsciously stroked the insides of her wrists. "Tenten."

Tenten gasped as she woke up and met Neji's worried white eyes. In the moonlight filtering through the window, the hint of lavender looked more a dark violet and she found it comforting.

"Neji," she breathed.

Neji released her and moved to sit back on his side of the futon. "You were having a nightmare."

Tenten sat up, pushing her hair away from her face as she did. It was down for bed. "Yeah, I know."

"What was it about?" Neji asked, his voice more gentle then it had been when he tried to rouse her.

Tenten shook her head. "Nothing important."

Yeah, cause Neji was going to buy that. Not. "Tenten, you were thrashing about as if fighting off something. I have never seen you have a nightmare like that before." he tipped his head a bit to meet her eyes. "Does this have to do with the Akatsuki, Kisame?"

Tenten flinched and Neji knew he was right.

"Tenten," he took her hand. "you don't have to be afraid any more."

Tenten clenched her eyes shut angrily. "I shouldn't be afraid at all. I've been through worse. I don't understand why this is effecting me so much." she stopped and pulled her hand away. "I'm sorry, you don't want to hear about this."

Neji frowned as Tenten laid back down and rolled away from him. Never before had she let him get away with doing that and he certainly wasn't going to let her.

"Hey," he rolled her back towards him, ignoring that she was faking sleep. "if I didn't want to hear, I wouldn't have asked and I would have just woken you and then gone back to sleep myself." he brushed her hair away, sliding his fingers through the strands. "I talk to you. Now it's your turn to talk to me."

Tenten tried to ignore the tears that pressed heavily against her closed lids. "I fell into the river." her voice was soft, a whisper. "The one I landed next to on our last mission, the nightmare was I fell in and couldn't swim out. You and the others either hadn't noticed or," she stopped herself and swallowed. "I could feel my lungs filling and my limbs get heavy."

Neji caught the single tear Tenten couldn't stop with his thumb. "Did this fear start before or after our fight with the Akatsuki?"

Tenten sighed, calmed by the cool sensation of Neji's fingers on her cheek. "After. I've never been afraid of water but now, even showering scares me."

When Neji didn't respond, Tenten risked cracking an eye open. She was sure Neji thought she was completely ridiculous and was thinking of the nicest way to ask her to leave. Instead he was staring out the window before looking down at her.

"Come with me," he said, standing and pulling her out of bed.

Tenten frowned as he guided her out of the room. "Neji, it's the middle of the night. Where are we going?"

Neji didn't bother stopping. "You'll see in a minute."

Tenten shivered as the cool night air hit her. She was in a tank and shorts so the air was chilly. Of course, Neji was in boxers and a t-shirt but then again, he didn't feel cold.

After walking through a small patch of woods, barefoot mind you, the two came to the edge of a sizeable pond.

Tenten got nervous. "Neji, what are we doing here?"

Neji faced her and took both her hands, walking backwards towards the water. "I know you better then anyone, Tenten, just as you know me. So I know how much this weakness bothers you."

Tenten swallowed but didn't struggle. "I don't see what this has to do with a late night swim."

"You've helped me over come so many things," Neji continued explaining. "Now I'm going to return the favor and help you over come this."

Tenten felt her toes hit the water and her panic rise. "Neji, I don't think-"

"Trust me."

Out of habit, Tenten responded. "With my life."

Neji allowed a small smile before continuing to guide Tenten into the water. Once they were both waist deep, Neji stopped and focused on Tenten.

The kunoichi was trying very hard to keep her breathing even while glancing from side to side at the water. Even in the moonlight, Neji could see her face had gone pale.

"Tenten," he called her name several times before she looked at him. "tell me what you're feeling. Not what your mind is feeling but what your body is feeling."

Tenten gave Neji a look. "Water, Neji. My body is feeling water."

Neji returned the look. "Not what I meant, Tenten." he dropped the annoyed expression. "Close your eyes and tell me what your body is feeling."

Tenten gave Neji a skeptical look but did as he said. Closing her eyes, she focused on the half of her body that was submerged in the water. Her toes wiggled in the soft dirt and rocks, some type of fish swam between her ankles, its tail catching the bump of her bone, the tops of her thighs quivered as her shorts swayed back and forth, brushing against them, her top had ridden up, leaving the gap between her shorts and the surface exposed to the gentle lapping of the water.

All this she told to Neji, who nodded and started moving again. Tenten fought back her panic as they stopped and the water now hit just below the dip of the front of her tank.

"Tell me again." Neji said simply, his hands still holding her comfortingly.

Tenten kept her breathing as steady as possible. Now the water licked at the top of her chest and slid smoothly over her forearms, tickling the fine hairs. Her chest and stomach tightened a bit, feeling an invisible pressure pushing at them.

Once more, she told Neji.

Neji said nothing for a moment, just moved Tenten's hands so they were resting on him, one of his chest and one on his stomach.

"What do you feel?" Neji asked. "Do you feel the water pushing on me like it is you?"

Tenten frowned but focused and discovered she didn't feel any pressure. The water wasn't pushing at Neji so why was it with her?

"It's your fear," Neji said softly. "it's your mind playing tricks on your body." he took her hands again. "Just a bit further."

Tenten's panic wasn't so bad now, even though the water was lapping at her chin. The pressure was fading and the water was beginning to feel like gentle silk flowing over and around her.

She shared this once more with Neji and he smiled. Tenten waited for the pressure to fade completely before returning Neji's smile.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Neji shook his head. "You don't need to thank me." he leaned in and kissed her gently. "Ready to go back to bed?"

Tenten nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Half an hour later, Tenten was in dry pajamas, curled up once more in Neji's arms as he ran gentle fingers over her back, the slow motions soothing her to sleep.

"I'm proud of you," Neji said into the fading black.

Tenten smiled as she drifted off. She was proud of her too.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Begin Transmission

So there we have it. Not at all how I planned but none of my writing ever goes as planned. Well, no, the depressing shit goes as planned. Everything else takes on lives of their own. Go figure. Okay, let me know what you think, flame policy located on my profile stands and thanks for reading.

End Transmission


End file.
